Pain is the most common symptom for which patients seek medical advice and treatment. Pain can be acute or chronic. While acute pain is usually self-limited, chronic pain persists for three months or longer and can lead to significant changes in a patient's personality, lifestyle, functional ability and overall quality of life (Foley, “Pain,” in Cecil Textbook of Medicine, pp. 100-107 (Bennett and Plum eds., 20th ed. 1996)).
Moreover, chronic pain can be classified as either nociceptive or neuropathic. Nociceptive pain includes tissue injury-induced pain and inflammatory pain such as that associated with arthritis.
Neuropathic pain is caused by damage to the peripheral or central nervous system and is maintained by aberrant somatosensory processing. There is a large body of evidence relating activity at vanilloid receptors (Di Marzo et al., “Endovanilloid signaling in pain,” Current Opinion in Neurobiology 12:372-379 (2002)) to pain processing.
Nociceptive pain has been traditionally managed by administering non-opioid analgesics, such as acetylsalicylic acid, choline magnesium trisalicylate, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, fenoprofen, diflusinal, and naproxen; or opioid analgesics, including morphine, hydromorphone, methadone, levorphanol, fentanyl, oxycodone, and oxymorphone. Id. In addition to the above-listed treatments, neuropathic pain, which can be difficult to treat, has also been treated with anti-epileptics (e.g., gabapentin, carbamazepine, valproic acid, topiramate, phenytoin), NMDA antagonists (e.g., ketamine, dextromethorphan), topical lidocaine (for post-herpetic neuralgia), and tricyclic antidepressants (e.g., fluoxetine, sertraline and amitriptyline).
UI is uncontrollable urination, generally caused by bladder-detrusor-muscle instability. UI affects people of all ages and levels of physical health, both in health care settings and in the community at large. Physiologic bladder contraction results in large part from acetylcholine-induced stimulation of post-ganglionic muscarinic-receptor sites on bladder smooth muscle. Treatments for UI include the administration of drugs having bladder-relaxant properties, which help to control bladder-detrusor-muscle overactivity.
None of the existing commercial drug treatments for UI has achieved complete success in all classes of UI patients, nor has treatment occurred without significant adverse side effects.
Treatment of ulcers often involves reducing or inhibiting the aggressive factors. For example, antacids such as aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, and calcium bicarbonate can be used to neutralize stomach acids. Antacids, however, can cause alkalosis, leading to nausea, headache, and weakness. Antacids can also interfere with the absorption of other drugs into the blood stream and cause diarrhea.
H2 antagonists, such as cimetidine, ranitidine, famotidine, and nizatidine, are also used to treat ulcers. H2 antagonists promote ulcer healing by reducing gastric acid and digestive-enzyme secretion elicited by histamine and other H2 agonists in the stomach and duodenum. H2 antagonists, however, can cause breast enlargement and impotence in men, mental changes (especially in the elderly), headache, dizziness, nausea, myalgia, diarrhea, rash, and fever.
H+, K+-ATPase inhibitors such as omeprazole and lansoprazole are also used to treat ulcers. H+, K+-ATPase inhibitors inhibit the production of enzymes used by the stomach to secrete acid. Side effects associated with H+, K+-ATPase inhibitors include nausea, diarrhea, abdominal colic, headache, dizziness, somnolence, skin rashes, and transient elevations of plasma activities of aminotransferases.
Inflammatory-bowel disease (“IBD”) is a chronic disorder in which the bowel becomes inflamed, often causing recurring abdominal cramps and diarrhea. The two types of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Crohn's disease, which can include regional enteritis, granulomatous ileitis, and ileocolitis, is a chronic inflammation of the intestinal wall. Crohn's disease occurs equally in both sexes and is more common in Jews of eastern-European ancestry. Most cases of Crohn's disease begin before age 30 and the majority start between the ages of 14 and 24. The disease often affects the full thickness of the intestinal wall. Generally the disease affects the lowest portion of the small intestine (ileum) and the large intestine, but can occur in any part of the digestive tract.
Cramps and diarrhea, side effects associated with Crohn's disease, can be relieved by anticholinergic drugs, diphenoxylate, loperamide, deodorized opium tincture, or codeine.
When Crohn's disease causes the intestine to be obstructed or when abscesses or fistulas do not heal, surgery can be necessary to remove diseased sections of the intestine. Surgery, however, does not cure the disease, and inflammation tends to recur where the intestine is rejoined. In almost half of the cases a second operation is needed. Berkow et al., eds., “Crohn's Disease,” Merck Manual of Medical Information, pp. 528-530 (1997).
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease in which the large intestine becomes inflamed and ulcerated, leading to episodes of bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. Ulcerative colitis usually begins between ages 15 and 30; however, a small group of people have their first attack between ages 50 and 70. Unlike Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis never affects the small intestine and does not affect the full thickness of the intestine. The disease usually begins in the rectum and the sigmoid colon and eventually spreads partially or completely throughout the large intestine. The cause of ulcerative colitis is unknown.
Treatment of ulcerative colitis is directed to controlling inflammation, reducing symptoms, and replacing lost fluids and nutrients. Anticholinergic drugs and low doses of diphenoxylate or loperamide are administered for treating mild diarrhea. For more intense diarrhea higher doses of diphenoxylate or loperamide, or deodorized opium tincture or codeine are administered.
Irritable-bowel syndrome (“IBS”) is a disorder of motility of the entire gastrointestinal tract, causing abdominal pain, constipation, and/or diarrhea. IBS affects three-times more women than men. In IBS, stimuli such as stress, diet, drugs, hormones, or irritants can cause the gastrointestinal tract to contract abnormally. During an episode of IBS, contractions of the gastrointestinal tract become stronger and more frequent, resulting in the rapid transit of food and feces through the small intestine, often leading to diarrhea. Cramps result from the strong contractions of the large intestine and increased sensitivity of pain receptors in the large intestine.
Treatment of IBS often involves modification of an IBS-patient's diet. Often it is recommended that an IBS patient avoid beans, cabbage, sorbitol, and fructose. A low-fat, high-fiber diet can also help some IBS patients. Regular physical activity can also help keep the gastrointestinal tract functioning properly. Drugs such as propantheline that slow the function of the gastrointestinal tract are generally not effective for treating IBS. Antidiarrheal drugs, such as diphenoxylate and loperamide, help with diarrhea. Berkow et al., eds., “Irritable Bowel Syndrome,” Merck Manual of Medical Information, pp. 525-526 (1997).
International publication no. WO 98/31677 describes a class of aromatic amines derived from cyclic amines that are useful as antidepressant drugs. International publication no. WO 01/027107 describes a class of heterocyclic compounds that are sodium/proton exchange inhibitors. International publication no. WO 99/37304 describes substituted oxoazaheterocyclic compounds useful for inhibiting factor Xa. U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,756 to Anthony et al. and international publication no. WO 97/38665 describe a class of piperidine-containing compounds that inhibit farnesyl-protein transferase (Ftase). International publication no. WO 98/31669 describes a class of aromatic amines derived from cyclic amines useful as antidepressant drugs. International publication no. WO 97/28140 describes a class of piperidines derived from 1-(piperazin-1-yl)aryl(oxy/amino)carbonyl-4-aryl-piperidine that are useful as 5-HT1Db receptor antagonists. International publication no. WO 97/38665 describes a class of piperidine containing compounds that are useful as inhibitors of farnesyl-protein transferase.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,419 to Moos et al. describes a class of urea compounds for stimulating the release of acetylcholine and useful for treating symptoms of senile cognitive decline. U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,889 to Anthony et al. describes a class of substituted piperidine compounds that are useful as inhibitors of farnesyl-protein transferase, and the farnesylation of the oncogene protein Ras. U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,129 to Cook et al. describes a class of dinitrogen heterocycles useful as antibiotics. U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,998 to Habich et al. describes a class of benzooxazolyl- and benzothiazolyloxazolidones useful as antibacterials.
International publication no. WO 01/57008 describes a class of 2-benzothiazolyl urea derivatives useful as inhibitors of serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases. International publication no. WO 02/08221 describes aryl piperazine compounds useful for treating chronic and acute pain conditions, itch, and urinary incontinence. International publication no. WO 00/59510 describes aminopyrimidines useful as sorbitol dehydrogenase inhibitors.
Japanese patent application no. 11-199573 to Kiyoshi et al. describes benzothiazole derivatives that are neuronal 5HT3 receptor agonists in the intestinal canal nervous system and useful for treating digestive disorders and pancreatic insufficiency. German patent application no 199 34 799 to Rainer et al. describes a chiral-smectic liquid crystal mixture containing compounds with 2 linked (hetero)aromatic rings or compounds with 3 linked (hetero)aromatic rings.
Chu-Moyer et al., J. Med. Chem. 45:511-528 (2002) describes heterocycle-substituted piperazino-pyrimidines useful as sorbitol dehydrogenase inhibitors. Khadse et al., Bull. Haff. Instt. 1(3):27-32 (1975) describes 2-(N4-substituted-N1-piperazinyl) pyrido(3,2-d)thiazoles and 5-nitro-2-(N4-substituted-N1-piperazinyl)benzthiazoles useful as anthelmintic agents.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2004/0186111 A1 and International publication no. WO 2004/058754 A1 describe a class of compounds that are useful for treating pain. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2006/0199824 A1 and International publication no. WO 2005/009987 A1 describe a class of compounds that are useful for treating pain. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2006/0128717 A1 and International publication no. WO 2005/009988 A1 describe a class of compounds that are useful for treating pain. U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. US 2009/0170867 A1, US 2009/0170868 A1, and 2009/0176796 A1 and International publication no. WO 2008/132600 A2 describe a class of compounds that are useful for treating pain.
There remains, however, a clear need in the art for new drugs useful for treating or preventing pain, e.g., pain associated with osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, UI, an ulcer, IBD, and IBS. Citation of any reference in Section 2 of this application is not to be construed as an admission that such reference is prior art to the present application.